Fritillaria pyrenaica

A perennial bulbous plant of the Liliaceae family, the Pyrenean Fritillary is endemic to the Pyrenees and the mountains of the northern Iberian Peninsula. It inhabits high-altitude meadows, rocky grasslands, the edges of clear woodlands, and grassy slopes, generally between 800 and 2,000 meters, on various substrates, calcareous or siliceous.

It raises robust stems from 25 to 50 cm, bearing linear to lanceolate, glaucous leaves, alternately along the stem. The flower, solitary and pendulous in an elongated bell shape, is a very dark purplish-brown, almost black on the outside of the tepals, while the inside reveals a greenish-yellow to sulfur-yellow spotted or tinged with purple, a striking contrast that is only discovered by gently lifting the flower. The tepals are slightly recurved at the tips. The stem curves in a crook above the flower.

In its natural habitat, its flowering extends from April to June depending on the altitude. In cultivation, it generally blooms in April-May.

It is perfectly suited to sloping rock gardens, gravel gardens, and alpine culture containers, in well-drained soil, fresh in spring and dry in summer. It tolerates both calcareous and acidic substrates and withstands relatively harsh conditions. Its dark and slender silhouette makes it one of the most remarkable fritillaries in the Pyrenean region.